Menopause The Musical® is hot in the city!
Arriving forMenopause The Musical® (MTM) hot, a little sweaty and cranky after some top-shelf shambles from Sydney Trains, I felt, well, menopause adjacent. Thankfully, and perhaps unsurprisingly, the gents’ facility was an empty white porcelain desert. By contrast, in the bubbling foyer, the queue for drinks was deep. Though not nearly as deep as for the women’s loos, something that would be a recurring motif in MTM, playing for a short season at Sydney’s elegant State Theatre.
Menopause The Musical has been around for nearly 25 years since its Orlando, Florida debut, rocking a pastiche of hit tunes from the ‘50s through to the ‘80s. This latest production, arriving 20 years after the first Australian performance, is directed and efficiently choreographed by Cameron Mitchell. Orchestrations and arrangements are by Damon Wade (recently of Jesus Christ Superstar).
The narrative is essentially four women bonding over shared experiences of menopause after meeting in a department store. Costumed by Christine Mutton, the characters are unashamedly stereotypes, named and performed as such: Professional Woman (Tara Morice), Soap Star (Erika Heynatz), Housewife (Melissa Langton), and Earth Mother (Cherine Peck).
As the night settles in, everyone grows confident, not least Langton, who has the best lines, delivered with expert comic timing. Having a strong background in musical theatre, Langton and Peck appear the most comfortable on stage. Peck also has a wonderfully soulful voice, while Morice’s lower register is a good foil for Heynatz’s brighter tones.
In truth, all four performers have great voices, harmonising with each other superbly, but all are forced at some point out of their natural register. Competing against a maximally amped band positioned above the stage doesn’t help, although it’s possible those in the dress circle may have a more balanced experience.
Most of the songs are well-chosen and very familiar. It’s a shame, then, that the parody lyrics are uneven. The strongest writing is at the back end of the show, including some genuinely funny takes on sweatiness in My Thighs (My Guy), and a – yes, they went there – number to Good Vibrations. The follow-up song, easily the best of the night and riffing on battery-powered love, is a killer version of Only You.
And some are genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. One number wouldn’t have been out of place as a Monty Python sketch. Some unexpected poignancy surfaces in (I’m No) Babe, (Ma), aka I Got You, Babe, where the lyrics dissect mother/daughter relationships. This all too brief digression also vexingly highlights my biggest issue with, not so much this production, but the musical itself. It is somewhat dated and shallow.
So, I’ll dive in here, and forgive me if it sounds like mansplaining. The very first number is a riff on ‘the Change,’ a euphemism that may have had currency in some distant time but is almost never heard in modern Australia.
Likewise, even though the hot-button physical symptoms of menopause – mood swings, brain fade, flushes and night sweats – are all punched, an opportunity for a greater examination of depression/anxiety is missed. The potentially devastating effect of all this on women’s careers is only glanced upon, as was pointed out by my menopausal wife.
I get it; it’s supposed to be fun and going in too deep may well spoil that. However, we are a more mature society today that encourages discussion about menopause and about mental health issues in general. Surely lyrics can be updated to reflect this more sophisticated understanding. Nevertheless, I accept, judging by the audience’s boisterous approval, I’m probably in the minority on this.
The set from Frances Story, lit in neon pinks and purples by Jasmine Rizk, works effectively. Four double doors on reversible hinges are positioned upstage for entrances and exits, with props arranged in front managed efficiently between scenes. Choreography from Mitchell utilises all the space in largely traditional moves that have the actors sashaying across the stage.
At one point, the action spills into the audience. Men, and there were a surprising number of blokes enjoying themselves in the audience (we get it – mostly), beware of an aisle seat near the stage.
Blasting through in under 90 minutes, Menopause The Musical® is a simple premise without great depth or nuance, but which delivers what the punters want: a funny, fast and feel good night out that finishes with some banging numbers and a bit of sequinned pizzazz. Nothing wrong with that. In spite of my misgivings, I left quite charmed. Preload ladies (and gents) and have a smashing night out.
Menopause The Musical runs until 5 October at State Theatre, 49 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000.
Tickets are available here.
Website: https://menopausethemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/menopausethemusical_au/
Photo credits: David Hooley
